


Muse Of The Ages

by FireandRosemary



Series: Life With The Old Guard [8]
Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: M/M, Museums, Nicky Was the Muse of the Renaissance, Nile Freeman is So Done, POV Nile Freeman, Sculpture, The Team Make Silly Bets, Their Faces Are Everywhere
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-01-16
Packaged: 2021-03-14 09:40:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 897
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28793325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FireandRosemary/pseuds/FireandRosemary
Summary: The team visit museums, Nile spots some familiar faces.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Series: Life With The Old Guard [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2088633
Comments: 6
Kudos: 194





	Muse Of The Ages

**Author's Note:**

> Absolutely inspired by Canova's Theseus and the Minotaur.  
> Much love to @OddmentsandTweaks who I have unapologetically dragged into this fandom, for some help making the words work.

Nile wanders through the museum, it’s the first one she’s picked to visit while they’re in London, but she’s hoping to go to the National Portrait Gallery too. It’s been several years since the incident with Merrick, and Andy has finally decided it’s safe enough for them to return to the city.

As they walk through the halls and galleries, Nile can sense the others watching her. She is well aware that they will have placed their usual bet. 

The first time this particular bet had been placed had been in the Uffizi Gallery. Nile had seen the shared smiles as they wandered the Florence museum, but none of them would answer when she asked. The revelation had come when she had spotted a familiar pair of eyes gazing back at her.  _ No, surely not _ . Nile had stepped back, her head tilted to the side. She studied the face in the painting carefully, yes, there was the line of nose and cheek that Nile had seen almost every day over the previous few months.

“Nicky, that looks an awful lot like you.”

The other three had burst into laughter. Nicky had dropped his head back and groaned before reaching into his pocket and handing Andy a wad of cash. Joe had chuckled, pulling Nicky to him and pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

“We had a bet going to see who you’d spot first,” Andy had explained, pocketing the cash and giving Nicky an affectionate, one armed hug.

“Too modest, by far,  _ habibi, _ ” Joe had murmured into Nicky’s neck before turning to Nile. “He would never bet that you would spot his perfect face first.”

“Wait,” Nile had turned to study the painting once more, “does that mean you’re here too?”

“We all are,” Nicky appeared to recover from his embarrassment, but his cheeks were still flushed.

“Yeah, but not all of us were the muse of the renaissance, Nicky,” Andy was grinning.

“They couldn’t resist him,” Joe turned adoring eyes at Nicky, “you should have heard Michelangelo and Raffaello squabbling over him.”

“Raffaello…what, the Raphael?” Nile could not believe it, the thought of renaissance artists arguing over the man who stood blushing in front of her was a difficult one to comprehend.

They had continued through the gallery, Nile managing to spot all of them in several more paintings and sculptures.

Now as they wander through the halls of the Victoria and Albert museum, Nile keeps her eyes peeled. This time, Nicky wins when she spots Andy on a painted miniature.

They enter one of the sculpture halls and Nile pauses before one of the larger pieces. One figure is sprawled over a rock, the other sitting above him. The figures appear impossibly lifelike, carved muscles rippling in the gallery lighting. Nile wonders, if she stood here long enough, if they might breathe, and  has to resist reaching out a hand to touch the smooth marble, convinced for a moment, she might feel the warmth of life beneath her palm. Looking at their features, Nile wonders at the sensuality of the sculpture. The seated figure’s hand rests on the prone thigh below him as he gazes down. Nile looks at the plaque;  _ Theseus and the Minotaur, Antonio Canova, 1783 _ . 

_ Damn _

Nile looks back at the sculpture, she can see it now as she walks around it, the bull head on the prone figure, yep, definitely a minotaur. It’s possibly one of the most beautiful, sensual sculptures she’s ever seen, it certainly doesn’t look like the aftermath of a vicious battle. It looks almost like Theseus is emotional about the kill. Nile studies the carved face of Theseus.

_ Oh no _

She turns to face the others, her hands on her hips. “This you again?” She raises an eyebrow at Nicky, jerking a thumb over her shoulder at the sculpture.

“You have a keen eye, Nile,” Nicky grins as he holds out a hand for the second handful of notes he has won from Andy today.

Nile looks at their faces, they are all grinning like idiots. There’s something else, she knows it. She looks back at the sculpture, the way Theseus’ hand rests on the Minotaur’s leg.

“Let me guess, that’s you,” Nile glares at Joe as they all laugh again.

“Told you she’d figure it out,” Joe also holds out a hand towards Andy, who sighs as she drops several notes in his palm. He wraps an arm around Nicky’s  waist, and they step towards the sculpture. “It was very uncomfortable, laying like that for hours on end.”

“Yeah, not to mention you had to control yourself while Nicky was sat on top of you,” Andy sniggers.

“As I said, uncomfortable,” Joe smirks, “to have my very heart touch me in such a way and be able to do nothing about it was torture.”

At this point, Andy groans and Nile feels she has heard quite enough, thank you very much. She absolutely does not need to know how hot and bothered they got while posing for this, admittedly gorgeous piece of art. Throwing up her hands, Nile turns away, wondering just how short a time she has before she spots one of them again.

Briefly, she wonders if this will ever be her, waiting for a new immortal to spot her likeness in art. Unlikely, she  thinks, but maybe one day.


End file.
